Travelers with kids, rejoice, either because this is just the place for wee ones bored with grown-up sightseeing or, more likely, because children give you cover to have a blast here while pretending it's all about them. Housed in a former train-repair facility, the museum contains an array of permanent and temporary exhibits, all touchable or climbable. Explore a 17-foot oak tree (with slide and beaver den), a vintage diesel locomotive, a working TV studio, or a hands-on exhibit with an inside view of how a city's infrastructure works. The gift shop offers a respectable percentage of reasonably priced items, all chosen to be educational and non-violent, from $5.99 volcano-making kits and $4.99 magic kits to arts-and-crafts that are priced from $4.99 to $30.99.




Kinsmen Building
45 Forks Market Road
Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
R3C 4T6
(204) 924-4000
www.childrensmuseum.com

Its stated mission may be providing unique theme rooms to couples looking to add some spice to their relationship via getaways in the city, but this quirky spot really shines as a kitschy-hip and intimate home base for exploring Winnipeg's happening Exchange District. The 20-block neighborhood, which contains more than 100 turn-of-the-century buildings, was once the banking center of the city and the main pipe for money flowing into Western Canada. After falling by the wayside, it was taken over by artists, students attending Red River College's innovatively designed Princess Street campus, and other cutting-edge-culture lovers. Rooms are designed to fire the passions of guests who can easily pretend they're staying in--among other locales--Africa, Morocco, Japan, Rome, Mexico, and Hawaii. But the advantage for those merely looking for a pleasant stay is that they're within walking distance of the area's shops, bars, restaurants, and clubs, and when they turn in for the evening, they spend it in swanky spaces outfitted with a Jacuzzi, steam room, stereo, 'fridge, TV, and DVD player. Some of the rooms even boast a pool table, a fireplace, and a waterfall hot tub.

231 McDermot Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
R3B 0S4
(204) 947-9447
www.mariaggis.com

Offering nearly 1,200 square miles of natural beauty, Riding Mountain is nirvana for those looking to spend a few days near the woods and lakes and to campers who want to get lost in the backcountry. One of Canada's 43 national parks and a designated UNESCO biosphere as of 1986, Riding Mountain encompasses forests and prairie grasslands, and is home to black bear, moose, elk, bison, lynx, wolves, nearly 270 species of birds, and countless other forms of wildlife. Visitors face a startling variety of things to do, from hiking, cycling, or skiing the park's 250 miles of trails to canoeing, horseback riding, golfing, fishing, sailing, swimming, snowshoeing, interpretive programs, geocaching, guided adventures, and more. Not looking to lose yourself in the deep, protected wilderness? Civilized accommodations are available at the Mooswa Resort, which offers cozy chalets and cabins, and the Elkhorn, a full-blown spa and resort, while shopping and entertainment can be found in the park townsite of Wasagaming.

Wasagaming, Manitoba Canada R0J 2H0
(204) 848-7275
www.pc.gc.ca/ridingmountain

Straddling the U.S.-Canada border where Dunseith, N.D., meets Boissevain, M.B., this 2,300-acre tribute to the long-lasting peace between the two countries was dedicated in 1932 and described by founder Henry T. Moore as "an example to the warring nations of the world that there is a better way to settle international differences than through recourse to bloody war." With two lakes, a 1.5-mile hiking trail, picnic areas, and an abundance of colorful gardens, the site certainly is peaceful. But the 9-11 Memorial, consisting of twisted girders taken from the ruins of the World Trade Center, stands as a silent reminder of just how far the world has to go in its quest for peace. Other highlights include the 120-foot Peace Tower, music and sports camps, a wildlife museum, a cafe, a gift shop, a chapel and an interpretive center.


International Peace Garden
10939 Highway 281
Dunseith, North Dakota 58329
(701) 263-4390
www.peacegarden.com

Housed in what was the Northern Pacific Railway depot, Five Nations features the works of Native Americans from the Northern Plains' Sioux, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara and Chippewa tribes. The modest space (operating under Native management and the umbrella of the non-profit Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation) is crammed with an impressively varied collection of CDs, sculptures, paintings, shields, knives, beadwork and clothing. Shelves contain both the relatively inexpensive (items such as a buffalo fetish, a corn necklace, and a dream catcher range from about $15-$25) and the higher-priced (wood and stone carvings and painted skulls that can sell for hundreds and even thousands of dollars), but all of the works are unique and beautifully crafted.

401 West Main St.
Mandan, North Dakota
58554
(701) 663-4663
www.fortlincoln.com/five_nations_art.aspx

The Current offers an easy, high-end option of skillfully prepared, local flavors for those who don't feel like leaving the Inn at the Forks after a long day of seeing the sights. In particular, the Surf with Turf, a bison tenderloin with lobster and mascarpone, along with cardamom-spiced winter squash and yam, provides a hearty taste of Manitoba game. The Spirited Strawberries, which are sliced, fresh strawberries marinated in Grand Marnier and served in a martini glass with cracked black pepper and garnished with white chocolate sabayon ($6.50), send you off to bed with a decadent flourish especially when paired with Inniskillin ice wine ($14 for a small bottle). Forget the diet and budget; you're on vacation.

Inn at The Forks
75 Forks Market Road
Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3C 0A2
(204) 942-6555
www.innforks.com/dining/

In the grand spirit of walking the walk, this vegan restaurant, coffee house and political book shop in Winnipeg's counter-culture Exchange District is the anti-Starbucks. It's a workers' cooperative and the same wages are paid to staff members no matter how long they've been employed there. (In fact, the establishment takes its name from a Basque town in Northern Spain that has a wide network of workers' cooperatives.) Of course, politics alone don't bring the clientele in the door. They come for the menu of fair-trade coffee and tea, the soups and sandwiches made with organic ingredients, and the assortment of gifts, books, music, videos, and other items devoted to queer issues, feminism, Marxism, activism, anarchism and other such topics. The revolution may not be televised, but it sure goes down better with a cup of joe.

91 Albert St.
Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3B 1G5
(204) 946-5241
www.mondragon.ca

This collection of exhibits revolving around Manitoba's Francophone and Metis populations doesn't look like much at first. However, a tour with one of the museum's knowledgeable guides reveals that the relatively ordinary-looking plaster statue of the Virgin Mary is actually a papier-mache labor of love crafted by nuns who had to make trip after trip for more newspapers each time they ran out. Or, that the statue of God is a relative rarity since Christianity frowns on such depictions. Or, the story behind Manitoba founder Louis Riel's half a coffin. Or, how the strange little box on the floor is a mousetrap designed to drown its prey. There are no high-budget interactive screens or hands-on exhibits here in Winnipeg's oldest building (the former Grey Nuns' convent), but that's part of the charm: a helpful staff member is all the interactivity you need.


494 Tache Ave.
Saint-Boniface, Manitoba Canada
R2H 2B2
(204) 237-4500
www.msbm.mb.ca

FortWhyte is living evidence that, with a lot of determination and help from humankind, Mother Nature is capable of spectacular comebacks. Located on the site of a former industrial clay mine, this 640-acre nature preserve and environmental-education facility is made up of lakes, woods, and prairie, and invites visitors to walk wetland boardwalks, hike trails, climb up into a tree house, or spend some time with bison and prairie dogs. Cold weather brings snowshoeing and tobogganing, while wet weather is a good excuse to learn something in the 10,000-square-foot interpretive center. Souvenir hunters will enjoy hitting the Nature Shop, while the more culinary-inclined will want to grab a table at the Buffalo Stone Cafe or pick up fresh produce and honey from FortWhyte Farms, which teaches at-risk youth about urban agriculture.

1961 McCreary Rd.
Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
R3P 2K9
(204) 989-8364
www.fortwhyte.org

This roadside attraction offers an intriguing variety of relocated and reconstructed homes and buildings from around rural Manitoba and opens a window into the lives and history of its prairie communities. Fort la Reine allows a rare personal look at local history: the cabins and houses of area families whose dwellings were donated and moved to the site, the industrial-style building housing the largest indoor collection of Allis Chalmers equipment in the world, and the private passenger cars of late Canadian Pacific Railway head William Van Horne. Visitors feel as if they really should leave the farmhouse bedroom they're standing in before the family comes home and finds them there. The guide book, which provides much-needed detail, is a worthy purchase.

Highway 1A and Highway 26
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba Canada
R1N 3C2
(204) 857-3259
www.fortlareinemuseum.ca

Inside Riding Mountain National Park and just a stone's throw from the townsite of Wasagaming's dining and shopping, Mooswa is a timeless family place that's sure to bring back memories of childhood vacations. They don't make them like this anymore. The collection of traditional and deluxe cabins, loft chalets, luxury suites and motel rooms boasts amenities such as a swimming pool, playground structures with sandboxes, barbecues, and a sense of getting away. There are even small meeting facilities for business escapes, but whether the trip is work-related or personal, marshmallows for fireside toasting are a requirement.

Mooswa Drive
Wasagaming, Manitoba Canada
R0J 2H0
(204) 848-2533
www.mooswa.com

The word "green" does double-duty at this 18-holer, which has been open since the early '30s but, starting about two decades ago, has been at the vanguard of golf-course sustainability. While courses are usually the bane of environmentalism with their heavy use of chemical fertilizers and wasteful watering, Clear Lake makes heavy use of composting from its waterless toilets and its clubhouse restaurant. Management has also implemented nutrient management for its grass, and is reseeding with different bluegrass varieties in order to reduce watering needs and stave off disease. In addition, a recently launched biodiesel program collects waste cooking oil from the club kitchen and from the Wasagaming townsite and two or three nearby communities, resulting in about 10,000 liters of waste oil that's used in fairway mowers and tractors instead of fossil oil.

Box 328
Onanole, Manitoba Canada R0J 1N0
(204) 848-4653
www.clearlakegolfcourse.com